The Present
by Here I am Rambling Again
Summary: Pheonix only means to give Maya one present for her birthday, but soon she has everything she's ever wanted. Rated T for language and suggestive themes.


Her eyes lit up as I handed her the present.

"Aw, Nick, you didn't have to!" Maya smiled as she took the box. She tore apart the wrapping paper and pulled out a box that read Gatewater Mall. "Wow! You went to the mall! The stuff there is sooooo expensive!" She laughed and opened the box. She pulled out a knee length magenta dress, adorned with cream ribbons and frills.

"WOW! Nick, it's beautiful!" She gave it another look and held it up to her chest. "It's the perfect size too! Wait, Nick, how did you know my size?"

I thought back to last week when I sent her out for burgers. All I did was look at her acolyte robes. After sneaking into her closet. Before checking her drawers… "Pearls told me." I lied. Luckily this seemed to satisfy her.

"It's soooooo elegant! It almost reminds me of…" she giggled, "Mr. Edgeworth," she grinned deviously. "But that's ok! Wow, where am I going to wear this…?" she stared dreamily at the dress.

Ok, Phoenix. Giving her the dress is the easy part. Now to ask her out for dinner. Damn! Why is this so hard? "Um… maybe you could wear it to…dinner?" I asked hesitantly, mentally slapping myself.

"Dinner? Um, sure I guess." I could have sworn I saw her blush. "I'll go get ready," she smiled and walked off to her room.

Wow. Did he really just ask me out? And give me a super pretty (yet slightly skimpy) dress? I slipped out of my training robes and pulled on the dress. It really did fit absolutely perfectly. It had spaghetti straps that didn't cut into my shoulders and hugged what little curves I had. I turned around to face the mirror. Maybe my curves weren't so little anymore. Or maybe it was just the dress.

But Nick just asked me out! Maybe Pearly was right. Maybe we can be 'special someone's'. I always figured that he'd never go out with me. I was seven years younger than him. Not only that but I was still a teenager. No, not anymore. Today was my twentieth birthday. I was almost a grown up. And I was going on a date with Phoenix Wright, the man who had saved me from assassins, and crossed a burning bridge just to make sure I was ok. How can you not fall for him?

I had been ready for an hour. Really, it was a dress. How long does it take to put a dress on?

I had made reservations at a fancy Italian place three weeks ago. I figured if she didn't get the hint I could just call it a birthday dinner. I really hoped she got the hint. Ever since the fall of the bridge, I had started to see Maya in a different light. She had grown up. She was taller and had become more of a woman and less of a girl. She was still Maya, just better.

Finally I heard her door open and the sound of heels coming down the hall. Maya owned a pair of heels? She stepped out of the hallway in all her glory. The dress hugged her curves (which were much easier to see) and her raven black hair was down, several strands of it curled. She had on a light amount of makeup and stepped gingerly in a pair of shiny, white heels. I'm pretty sure my mouth was hanging open.

"What do you think?" she asked quietly.

"I—uh, it…you—um…"I blushed and scratched the back of my neck, "Y-you look… amazing…" I grinned sheepishly. Amazing was an understatement. Beautiful, gorgeous, hot, _sexy._ More than amazing for sure.

"Thanks! Now come on! I'm starving!" Good ole' Maya.

The cab ride was awkward to say the least. It was dark inside and lights flashed outside. I could see Nick's reflection in my window, which meant he could see mine. And was probably staring at it intently. His reaction was better than I could have hoped for. He stammered and blushed every time I tried to talk to him. Which was probably good.

We pulled up in front of a fancy Italian restaurant. Phoenix opened my door and helped me out. He went to pull his hand away from mine to pay the cab driver but I didn't let go. He blushed again and fumbled with his wallet and paid the driver. It was cold. I hugged his arm and we walked into the restaurant.

We sat down and placed our orders. I tried to start several conversations with Nick but he was too busy playing with his fork. So I stomped on his foot. He winced but didn't look up. It was time to take drastic measures. I rubbed his leg with my foot. He blinked several times. I shifted forward in my seat and moved my calf up and down his. Now he blushed.

"Wh-what are you doing Maya?" he asked quietly. I just grinned and said, "What?"

"Your leg…"

"Oh? You don't like it?" I smirked.

"No, it's just…"

"Shhh. So. You've been acting different, ever since I put the dress on. Is something wrong?"

Just then the waiter brought our food. He dove hungrily into it, avoiding my question. I let him now for the time being. This spaghetti was good…

I looked down at our empty plates. Maya had almost finished her last meatball.

"Nick?" Damn. Of course she wouldn't forget. So I ignored her.

"Nick." Wow! That spoon is really interesting.

"Phoenix." She stomped my foot again. I winced, but kept playing with the spoon. I'm a wimp.

She started to rub our legs again and I suppressed a shiver. "Nicky?" I bit my lip. That feels good… she rubbed harder. "_Feenie?_" I looked up into her dark eyes unable to take it any longer. I was like a dog that associated the sound of a can opening to food. Except the sound was 'Feenie' and the food was… her. I blushed.

"Maya… I… happy birthday?" I scratched my neck and grinned. She had gotten the hint. I'm such a chicken.

"Oh, please, Nick. I'm not clueless." She smirked. "If you don't want to talk about it here, then let's go back to the office-?"

"Wait. Um… why don't we go to…_ my apartment?_" Slow down Phoenix! Take that back before-!

"I'm sorry, Mr. DeLite. Didn't catch that last part." She grinned, "But it sounded to me like you just invited me over to your apartment. I'd be ha-!"

"You don't have to!" I said a bit too loudly. I felt a finger pressed to my lips.

"I'd be _happy_ to. Let's go." She looked into my eyes. Then she grabbed my hand and led me out.

We stepped outside. I'd got the ball rolling. Now I just… need to stop thinking about balls. Especially HIS. I can't say I'd ever been to his apartment. Hell, I didn't even know where it was. I went to call a cab when I felt Phoenix's hand on my shoulder.

"It's just right around the corner, Maya." Yeah, just around the corner IN HEELS. But, I looked into his deep blue eyes and my heart promptly melted.

"Ok." I shivered. I should have brought a coat. It may have been L.A. but the nights are cold in the desert. Oh… dessert. Ice cream… which brought me to another shiver. Wordlessly, Nick slipped out of his coat and put it around my shoulders. How cliché. But it was warm, and it was Nick's. We walked in silence.

It really was right around the corner. Maybe a block. But my feet were throbbing none the less. The place was clean, meticulously so, like the toilet back at the office. I slipped my heels off and left them by the door way and walked around, trying to remove the feeling of a misshapen floor from my feet.

Nick had already hung up his coat and kicked off his shoes. He walked off toward what was probably the kitchen. "Do you, uh, want something to drink?" he asked slowly. "There's soda, grape juice, water… and beer. But I'm not letting you have beer so don't ask." I could almost see him smirking.

"Just water, please." Damn. Never. Underestimate. THE. Phoenix. Wright. I wandered off to a couch to get off my feet. And sitting on the coffee table was…

"YOU HAVE THE NEW **SILVER SAMURAI: RETURN OF THE FLAMING SWORD?** AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!" I gasped. He walked back in with two glasses of water.

"It was going to be your present, if you didn't like the dress…" he set the glasses down, and proceeded to scratch the back of his head. "I guess we could watch it now."

"Ok!" He sighed. Obviously he was relieved the following two hours involved him not making a major move.

I popped the DVD in and plopped down on the couch. Ah, two hours of NOT making a major move. The couch is not huge, to say the least. There was about a foot between me and Maya, who was sitting on the edge of the seat. That's right. This is the one I never took her to go see. Instead, Larry took me. How he found the money for tickets was beyond me, though.

She cheered as the movie started and I almost felt guilty. Like I should be babysitting instead of hitting on her. There's a seven year difference. But then again, Gumshoe is nine years older than Maggey. And it's not like it's not obvious that they have a thing for each other. I got lost in my own thoughts; absentmindedly fiddling with my tie.

Suddenly there was a crash from the movie and Maya was clinging to my arm. All thoughts of age flew out the window. That didn't matter. As long as I was here for her. I looked down at Maya; eyes wide and clutching my arm as if it were her life in danger. She realized that she had grabbed my arm and quickly released it. I slid it around her shoulders and pulled her close before she could slither away. She tensed at first, but then relaxed, snuggling into my side.

I began fidgeting with her hair. I was surprised at how soft it was. The bright colors of the movie reflected off her head. I got lost in thought again. _Soft, shiny, she's so close, soft, she looks stunning in that dress, shiny, I'm glad she liked it, smooth, didn't think I was some pervert, Maya…_

"Nick?" she whispered, prodding me softly in the ribs. "Nick, the movies over…" even though she didn't move.

"I…I don't want it to be over." I said quietly.

"Me either." She looked up at me and smiled. A sparkling smile. Unlike one I had ever seen. She looked beautiful and at that moment I couldn't help but…

I was about to say something. Something meaningful and smart. Maybe even a little sexy. And then his lips met mine and I just melted into him. I shifted and threw my hands around his neck. He reached around my waist and pulled me over so I straddled his lap. I pushed him over so he was on his back and I was on top of him.

Phoenix pulled back from the kiss just enough so that our lips parted. I gazed into his eyes and smiled. I felt him grin triumphantly and he kissed me lightly again.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you too, Nick." She smiled and I pulled her into another kiss. I felt her tongue on my lips and opened my mouth slightly. With more passion then I thought she had in her, she sucked at my mouth and tugged at my shirt. She sat up slowly and pulled off my tie and unbuttoned my shirt. I had won.

"Wow, Nick. You should work out more." I was surprised to find that solid six pack under there. When does he work out?

"Only if you give up burgers." He grinned.

"Never!" And I dove back down for another hungry kiss. I had gotten him. I had won.

I woke up the next morning with an unfamiliar warmth next to me. I peeked down to Maya's sleeping figure and remembered the events of last night. I kissed the top of her head and I felt her smile contentedly against my bare chest.

"Nick…?" she said sleepily. "Thank you for the most amazing birthday ever. It's gonna be hard to top _that_ present for my twenty-first birthday, though,"

"Which present? The dress or the movie?"

"The other one."

"The kisses?"

"No. Maybe I'll just have to remind you." She crawled on top of me and grinned.

"Oh. THAT one," I smirked and looked at her on top of me, in nothing but her undergarments, "Maybe I would like to be reminded. Happy birthday, Maya,"


End file.
